Sbth wheeler and edgar jerome



UNITED-STATES ,A sETHwHEnLER `AND E DGARjJERoME, 0F ALBANLNEW YORK` PATENTOFFICE Specification forming part of Letters Batent No. 6l,968, dated February 12,18677; A i

To-alLwhoin it may concern.- f i .Be it `known that we, SETE WHEELER and EDGAR JEROME, both of Albany,in the county ofAlbany and State oi'y New Yorkghave; invented a Mode of Making Paper Boxes withoutla Joint; and' we do herebydeclare that the'following is a full, clear, and exactde` scription thereof, reference beingghad to the accompanyingjdrawings, making a part of this specification, in which- .f l Figures 1, 2, and 3 represent partsof a machine which may be employed in constructing theV improved paper boxes. Figpli isa central section through the body of a'paper box andits cover, which Yare produced `without a seam or joint. N

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

The object of-'this inventionis to produce paper boxes of various sizes and shapes without seams or joints, by molding the paperpulp into therequired form by suitablev machinery adapted to the purpose, thereby making` such boxes much stronger and more dura-` ble than `paper boxes which are prepared from paper cut in several pieces and ce!` mented together, and at the same time effecting great economy in the use of paper, as will be hereinafter-described. -Y .l

The nature of our invention consists in providing means for making hollow paper artii cles--suchV as' boxes, `with for without'tops,

lamp-shades, bags, loaf-sugar covers, fruitand honey baskets, and oth er analogous receptacles for various articles of merchandiseA-the said means operatinglupon amass' of paper-pulp, and at'one time bothY expressing the moisture from the pulpand giving the desiredform and solidityto the articles produced therefrom."\-"-` The principle of operation pursued by us is thatlof pressingthe pulp between dies, which are constructedy so as to allow of the free expulsion of the water from the pulp -at 'one point,`so' as to be expanded'orconi y tracted, andthe body portion isre'movable simultaneously with the impartation ofform and solidity thereto.

This principle of operation we believe to be new, for, so far as We are aware, it has been usual heretofore, in the manufacture of trays and other articles from papier-mache by means of dies, to first express the water from the substance between screens, and then to place and expensive mode is notV necessary when paper-pulp boxes and other hollow articles are practice of first drying, and then pressing the paper mass into form; and tothis end Mr. Edward H. Knight invented and patented, in 1866, a pneumatic processfor` making hollow paper articles. useful one, as far as lit goes; but we believe process','will be foundffar better1 adapted for :making hollow article'sat; one operation, with or sides. l

To enable others skilled inthe art to `understruction and operation. f In the `accompanying drawings w plate, and arranged atregular distances apart opening through Aifor the :reception of' a hollow former is perforated at'suitable points,A

through the perforated plates b.`

The cylindric metal frame`is split down withpaper box formed on it. j

former B are follower-blocks C C, which are free to slide outward and inward, and which are the sheets between the dies. But this tedious "made upon a former' which allows for `the ready escape ot` thewater from V the pulp, and; hence attempts have `been made to avoid the His process may be avery` our mechanical means,or mechanicalpressure `any desired thickness dot' pulp in their walls lstandour invention, we willdescribeitsv con? 1lustrated one form of machine `which may be` a, projecting aisuitableA distance abovefa bed-pv `varound a common center. There is a circular Lhollow form, B, the `circumference 3` of which; '1 may be corrugated, -soasto formwater-chan-` nels,-and adapted torreceiving -aroundita gplate of perforated sheet metal or other rigid L. material, b. A similar metal plate coversthe; topof lsaid'f'ormer, asshown inVFi,g ;."3.`f`l This;

.forthe purpose of allowing'the water which` lis pressed from the paperfpulp to escape freely Between the segmentsa al surrounding the moved in this manner by means `of screws d d. (Shown in Fig.2.) These screws d are tapped through a Case or jacket, D, which is shown in Fig. 1 in section, and which, when it is in place, incloses the body of the machine.l

There are spring-plates e c interposed be tween the ends of the followers U G and Vthe circumference of the perforated plate b, which springs are -made thin, and arranged sothat their ends lap over each other and close the spaces between the inner ends of the segments a, as shown .in Fig. 2. Said springs constitute the outer compressing-wall, and. they are so applied to the followers C C as to move with them.

A large opening is made through the center of' the cap or case D, surrounding which is a ange, g. Within this ange a piston, E, is applied, so as to move up andV down freely, but tightly. A cap, D', is screwed over the flange g, through the centerof whichl the piston-rod passes.

By unscrewing capl D and removing the piston E, access can be had to the space surrounding the former B for the introduction of the paper-pulp around the sides andV ontop of the former.

The pulp having been introduced into, the machine, and the cap D with its plunger applied, this plunger or piston E, together with the followers U C, are forcibly moved toward the former, so as to compress the pulp and force all the water out of it.

A suicient pressure having been applied to the paper-pulp, the followers C C O are drawn outward and the case D removed, to allow of the removal of' the box, which will be formedof' one piece of' paper, with sharp and perfect edges,'as represented in Fig. 4.-.

The cover or tcp G of the box G may be made in a similar manner to that above described-viz., by compressing and condensing paper-pulp about' a suitable form.

It will be obvious from the above description that paper boxes of' various formsr and sizes may be lmolded from paper-pulp, so as to be seamless, by a slight modification inthe form of the machine described.

We do not confine our invention to machinery for making paper boxes directly from `the pulp by mechanical pressure applied through dies, as other machinery than that herein decribed, but operating on the same principle as thatherein set forth, may be employed for the purpose; andour object in illustrating the Within-described machine Was merely to show one practical mode of producing the boxes.

Asone' modification of the means shown for moving the laterally-pressing followers, I shall adopt the well-known circle-plate, with oblique slots in it, used on lathes and other machinery for movingiu and out the tappingdies, tenon-cutters, and other tools. This circle-plate will receive the ends of the followers, or the pins on the followers will enter the oblique slots of the face-plate, and by turning this plate to the right and left the followers will be forced inward and drawn outward.

We shall connect the circle-plate to the machinery which operates the vertically-moving follower, so that the descent or ascent of this follower shall operate the laterally-pressing followers; or, if preferred, the circle-plate may be operated by a treadle, or independently of' the devices which actuate the verticallymoving followers. And, instead of' this particular circle-plate, a ring with cams on its inner circumference may be made to operate the laterally-moving followers.' This ring may -be operated vertically or horizontally, accordingly as its cams are set or shaped.

As another modification, we shall provide an inner and outer perforated flask, and be# tween these two flasks introduce a follower, which acts upon the upper edge of' the pulp, thus making the body of' the box by end press-f ure alone.

We have tried various plans, in all ofwhich the two functions of' expressingthe water from, and giving form to, the pulp by means of dies, and at one operation, were performed.

We propose to make open-work, ornamental, and illuminated hollow articles, as Well as articles with closed walls orv sides.

What we claim as our invention, and'desire to secure by Letters Patent, isT

l. In the manufacture l'of hollow paper are ticles directly from paper-pulp by mechanical pressure, means, substantially as described, whereby the water is allowed to escape freely and form is given to the pulp at one opera-V tion, as set forth.

2.l The combination of' vertical and horizontal followers in a machine adapted for making paper boxes and other hollow articles from pulp, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. The combination of'a perforated die and. la follower or followers in a machine adapted for making paper boxes from pulp, substan: tially as described.

4. In a machine adapted for making paper boxes and other hollow articles, the use of a light rigid frame, upon or within which the article of'v pulp is formed, said frame being re, movable from the dies, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

SETE WHEELER- EDGAR JEROME.

Witnesses:

R. T. CAMPBELL, EDW. SOHAFER. 

